I’m writing this from Cork, Ireland’s second largest city and in true “second city syndrome” fashion proclaimed loudly by its citizens to be the the “real capital”. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth has just concluded her hugely successful and historic visit to Ireland with a few hours here in Cork.

It is safe to say that the visit to Cork capped what has been an incredible week in Anglo-Irish relations in the most fantastic way possible. Milions of viewers all over the world will have seen a spick and span Cork City Centre bathed in bright sunlight with its citizens loudly cheering the royal visitors at their every appearance.

The Queen and Prince Phillip visited “The English Market” in the heart of the city to see the best Cork has to offer in fresh artisanal food and it looked magnificent. The market which dates from 1788 has had a chequered past but in the past fifteen years has gone from strength to strength and is one of the most popular visitor attractions in the city. It is of course a mecca for foodies and repays repeated visits as you uncover the mouthwatering delights at every turn within the compact indoor market.

The greatest delight perhaps, at the end of a week heavy with ceremony and symbolism, was the unexpected brief walkabout of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip and their interaction with the crowds on the Grand Parade. A moment of unscripted delight for the citizens of Cork and the TV pictures most hoped for in the tourism business here in Ireland.

An unintended consequence of this politically important week may well be the new sense of purpose and self-confidence that this visit has engendered in the population of this country which has suffered more than its share of slings and arrows of outrageous fortune in recent years. For this and so much more we have much to be grateful for this week.

Fastnet Line with it’s Cork to Swansea ferry route celebrates the first anniversary of operations on Thursday 10th March. The first sailing on the route since 2006 took place on this date in 2010 when the Julia set sail from Swansea to Cork.

The re-establishment of the route was a boost to tourism on both sides of the Irish Sea last year and saw Fastnet Line exceed its targets for vehicles and passengers in a highly successful first season. More than 80,000 people travelled on the route between March and December 2010 in a year which saw the importance of access by sea emphasised during the now infamous “ash cloud crisis”.

Fastnet Line has also established a cost effective route for freight in and out of the south of Ireland and the UK and with Swansea directly connecting to the motorway network in the UK the miles saved for hauliers is becoming an increasingly important factor in these times of rising fuel prices.

Commenting on the prospects for 2011, Phil Jones CEO of Fastnet Line said, “We were delighted with our first year of operations and learned a lot but that is in the past now and we look forward to the challenges ahead. We are determined to build on the solid foundations we have created and with tight cost control and an aggressive strategy for marketing in the UK supported once again by our partners in Tourism Ireland we intend to do everything we can to increase numbers this year.”

A new range of value products including short breaks will go on sale from Monday 14th March and Fastnet Line also will continue its policy of targeting major sporting events on both sides of the water including Heineken Cup, Six Nations rugby, Cheltenham Racing Festival, the West Cork Rally and the Racing Home for Easter festival at Cork Racecourse.

Conor Buckley Chairman of West Cork Tourism Co-Op, the owners of Fastnet Line, said, “2011 promises to be a challenging year again for everyone in the tourist industry but the members of the Co-Op are determined to promote themselves strongly in our key market in the UK. We will also encourage everyone to use the route from Cork to Swansea in both directions as much as possible in order to ensure the viability of the business for the long term benefit of the whole community.”

Cork Chamber of Commerce have announced that Fastnet Line has been shortlisted with three other Cork based companies in the “Emerging Cork Business” category for 2010. The company will also be in the running for the overall category of Cork Business of the Year.

The winners will be announced at the Cork Chamber of Commerce annual dinner to be held in City Hall Cork on Friday 4th February 2011.

“Against the challenges of today’s economic background, it is more important than ever that we recognise businesses for their achievements, contributions and entrepreneurial spirit. Judging by the exceptionally high standard of entries this year, it is easy to see why Cork is flourishing with business talent. It was a tough challenge to choose the shortlisted companies and we are very excited about announcing the overall winners shortly”, commented Conor Healy, Chief Executive of Cork Chamber.

Fastnet Line would like to congratulate all the shortlisted companies including their “rivals” in the emerging companies catgory which are, Brook Catering and HR Locker. Well done to them and may the best company win.

Recently Fastnet Line received a “Highly Commended” award from Swansea Bay Tourism at their annual awards ceremony held recently in Brangwyn Hall Swansea. The category was called “Co-operating to Compete” and recognises the efforts that Fastnet Line has gone to in connecting with local businesses in the South Wales area in an effort to promote them to Irish customers.

In June 2010, Fastnet Line hosted over eighty tourism businesses from the Swansea area on board the Julia under the banner “Working Together”. Following that initial contact it took varios business offerings from these providers and promoted them on its website www.fastnetline.com as well as making them part of its marketing message to the Irish consumer.

Fastnet Line will continue to work with Swansea Bay Tourism and other stakeholders in South Wales to continue to promote the area in the Irish market.

Also on the Irish side of the water, Cork Chamber of Commerce have just announced that Fastnet Line has been shortlisted for Cork Company of the Year. The winner will be announced at the gala dinner hosted by the Chamber on Friday 4th February 2011. We are extremely proud of all of our staff and crew who have worked so hard in 2010 and thank them for their terrific efforts which are being recognised in this way. Thank you.

Unbelievable but true! Only €29/£26 per person for a 24 hour return crossing as a foot passenger including a cabin? For a limited period until the end of January on selected dates take advantage of this amazing offer.

You can also give this as a Christmas gift to your loved ones by simply contacting Fastnet Line. We will send you our special Christmas voucher so that you can surprise someone you love with a great trip on the Julia.

This offer is valid for travel until the 31st January 2011 on selected dates and is subject to availability. You must book by the 15th December to avail of this great offer.

We recently got some great feedback from our neighbours in the National Maritime College of Ireland who had some recent participants in their BOSIET and offshore courses use the service and save some money.

“The Ferry is a great service and we are delighted to see some of our students using this mode of transport when involved in our commercial courses“
Joanne, NMCI

The Irish Minister for Tourism Miss Mary Hanafin visited the Fastnet Line desk at the World Travel Market in London recently. General manager’s of the UK and Ireland Mike Wood and Paul O’Brien attended over three days meeting with tourism buyers, tour operators and travel agents at the largest international tourism meeting in the world.

The minister who attended at the invitation of Tourism Ireland was in London promoting Irish tourism with a particular emphasis on the UK which still remains Irelands biggest market. The minister who visited the Julia in August at the invitation of the Co-Op which owns Fastnet Line was delighted to hear of the numbers which have travelled this year already. The government is making a special priority to win back our UK visitors and Fastnet Line aims to be a key part of that strategy in the medium and long term.

We are extremely grateful to the minister for her time and to Tourism Ireland for their support in 2010. We have agreed plans with Tourism Ireland for a jointly funded campaign for 2011 which will help us get our message out to even more people.

Fastnet Line continues to be one of the most progressive ferry companies on the Irish sea. On Monday, its owners the West Cork tourism Co-Op will open their Tourist Information Office on board the MV Julia. The large space located on deck five is dedicated to giving passengers as much information as possible about the destinations on both sides of the Irish sea.

The shareholders who have invested €3m of their own money to purchase the ferry and establish Fastnet Line will now be able to display information about their businesses to the tourists travelling on board in what is believed to be a unique venture on any ferry to southern Ireland. Only businesses which have invested to become members of the Co-Op are allowed to display on board the ship.

Shareholders also benefit from joint marketing opportunities with Fastnet Line which should enhance their opportunities to gain additional tourist traffic. The tourist information office consists of large scale grpahic representations of Wales and Ireland as well as a central information desk and leaflet display racks. the office will be manned by trained staff in high season who will be able to give detailed information about the two destinations as well as advice regarding shareholders offerings.

West Cork Tourism Co-Op membership is still open to businesses in Ireland and Wales.